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Objectivism

The Philosophy of Ayn Rand

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This brilliantly conceived and organized book is based on a lecture course given by Dr. Leonard Peikoff in 1976, entitled “The Philosophy of Objectivism.” The lectures were attended by Ayn Rand, who helped prepare them and also joined Peikoff in answering questions. Ayn Rand said of these lectures: “Until or unless I write a comprehensive treatise on my philosophy, Dr. Peikoff’s course is the only authorized presentation of the entire theoretical structure of Objectivism–that is, the only one that I know of my own knowledge to be fully accurate.”

Dr. Peikoff, Rand’s designated heir and foremost interpreter, reveals the abstract fundamentals of Objectivism and its practical applications in the everyday world. He covers every branch of philosophy recognized by Rand and every philosophic topic she regarded as important–from certainty to money, from logic to art, from measurement to sex. Illustrated with quotes from her published works, complete with an abundance of new material that Ayn Rand offered only in private conversations with Peikoff, these clear, cogent chapters illuminate Objectivism–and its creator–with startling clarity. Now the millions of readers who have been transformed by Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead will discover the full philosophical system underlying Ayn Rand’s stories about life “as it might be and ought to be.”

Objectivism

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Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand – Leonard Peikoff AcknowledgementsPrefaceChapter 1: RealityExistence, Consciousness, and Identity as the Basic AxiomsCausality as a Corollary of IdentityExistence as Possessing Primacy over ConsciousnessThe Metaphysically Given as AbsoluteIdealism and Materialism as the Rejection of Basic AxiomsChapter 2: Sense Perception and VolitionThe Senses as Necessarily ValidSensory Qualities as RealConsciousness as Possessing IdentityThe Perceptual Level as the GivenThe Primary Choice as the Choice to Focus or NotHuman Actions, Mental and Physical, as Both Caused and FreeVolition as AxiomaticChapter 3: Concept-FormationDifferentiation and Integration as the Means to a Unit-PerspectiveConcept-Formation as a Mathematical ProcessConcepts of Consciousness as Involving Measurement-OmissionDefinition as the Final Step in Concept-FormationConcepts as Devices to Achieve Unit-EconomyChapter 4: ObjectivityConcepts as ObjectiveObjectivity as Volitional Adherence to Reality by the Method of LogicKnowledge as ContextualKnowledge as HierarchicalIntrinsicism and Subjectivism as the Two Forms of Rejecting ObjectivityChapter 5: ReasonEmotions as a Product of IdeasReason as Man’s Only Means of KnowledgeThe Arbitrary as Neither True nor FalseCertainty as ContextualMysticism and Skepticism as Denials of ReasonChapter 6: ManLiving Organisms as Goal-Directed and ConditionalReason as Man’s Basic Means of SurvivalReason as an Attribute of the IndividualChapter 7: The Good“Life” as the Essential Root of “Value”Man’s Life as the Standard of Moral ValueRationality as the Primary VirtueThe Individual as the Proper Beneficiary of His Own Moral ActionValues as ObjectiveChapter 8: VirtueIndependence as a Primary Orientation to Reality, Not to Other MenIntegrity as Loyalty to Rational PrinciplesHonesty as the Rejection of UnrealityJustice as Rationality in the Evaluation of MenProductiveness as the Adjustment of Nature to ManPride as Moral AmbitiousnessThe Initiation of Physical Force as EvilChapter 9: HappinessVirtue as PracticalHappiness as the Normal Condition of ManSex as MetaphysicalChapter 10: GovernmentIndividual Rights as AbsolutesGovernment as an Agency to Protect RightsStatism as the Politics of UnreasonChapter 11: CapitalismCapitalism as the Only Moral Social SystemCapitalism as the System of ObjectivityOpposition to Capitalism as Dependent on Bad EpistemologyChapter 12: ArtArt as a Concretization of MetaphysicsRomantic Literature as Illustrating the Role of Philosophy in ArtEsthetic Value as ObjectiveEpilogue: The Duel Between Plato and AristotleReferencesIndex